The " Lighthouse Room" Story

It was an ordinary day. Just finished the "Lighthouse Room". About half a dozen years ago Carol and I decided that we would buy a bunk bed to put in one of our spare bedrooms so that when our granddaughters would come to visit, we would have a unique space for them to sleep. Well, we bought a very sturdy metal unit from Ikea near Philadelphia, put it together, bought mattresses for it, and we were ready. Except ..... we read on the ladder that you had to be 6 years old to safely use the top bunk. Uh Oh! Courtney, the oldest granddaughter was only 4 at the time so for the next few years they both would have to sleep on the bottom bunk or we would take the top mattress and lay it on the floor. Both granddaughters are now able to sleep in the top bunk, but they prefer not to. The bunk beds were a dumb move on our part, so it was. A month or so ago, after having to put the mattress back on the top bunk and trying to make the bed while on the top, I decided it was time to get rid of them and put a double bed in the room. I checked the Ikea website for the price of the bed and checked the price of the mattresses online and found if I asked $200 for everything, I could buy a new double mattress set for almost the same price. Placed an ad on Craig's List last week and within a day had 7 replies. Some replies I knew were not serious so I screened the good ones and made a call. Couple from Lancaster wanted them for their children, but after telling them that one had to be 6 years old to safely use the top bunk, they decided against them. Finally sold them to a couple from York, PA who can with their two young girls to get them. They were so excited about having bunk beds to share. The following day I shampooed the carpet in the bedroom and then visited one of the three mattress stores within two blocks of our house and bought a double bed set and bed frame. Years ago I made a headboard designed with a lighthouse on it to use in our "Beach House" we had just moved into. Never got to use it until now. Attached it to the frame, positioned it against the wall, and placed the box spring and mattress on it. About the time that I had made the headboard, we also had purchased a quilt set with a lighthouse theme on it. Forgot we had it until I dug out the headboard from storage and found the quilt set. Some new sheets, pillowcases, and blanket finished the new bed for the room. The room already had a lighthouse wallpaper border on one wall, 4' x 6' lighthouse wool area carpet, and a lighthouse clock and light on the chest-of-drawers. Oh yeah, the chest-of-drawers. The chest-of-drawers was the same set that we had purchased when our first son was born in 1971. We had it repainted and a lighthouse themed design painted on it about 10 years ago. Really neat! On one wall was a framed collage that I had made which included two lighthouse prints that I had etched and water colored along with an edition of 5 US stamps. On another wall was a framed silkscreen print of a young boy fishing by a lighthouse. The room has a total of 32 lighthouse images and is now complete. Goes real well with our "Wings and Water Room". Tomorrow our granddaughters will come to visit and get an early experience of sleeping at the beach in the "Lighthouse Room". It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - pixs from the top are: bunk beds that were a mistake, LDub cleaning the carpet, view of the finished bedroom, view showing the silkscreen print on the wall, print that shows the two water colored etchings and US stamps, and the finishing touch; a small lighthouse mirror.